[Xen-devel] [V11 PATCH 01/21] PVH xen: Add readme docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt

[Mukesh Rathor <mukesh.rathor@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Signed-off-by: Mukesh Rathor <mukesh.rathor@xxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Keir Fraser <keir@xxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Andrew Cooper <andrew.cooper3@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Tim Deegan <tim@xxxxxxx>
---
 docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt |   59 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 files changed, 59 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt

diff --git a/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt b/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c00595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/misc/pvh-readme.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+
+PVH : an x86 PV guest running in an HVM container. HAP is required for PVH.
+
+See: 
http://blog.xen.org/index.php/2012/10/23/the-paravirtualization-spectrum-part-1-the-ends-of-the-spectrum/
+
+At present the only PVH guest is an x86 64bit PV linux. Patches are at:
+   git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/konrad/xen.git
+
+A PVH guest kernel must support following features, as defined for linux
+in arch/x86/xen/xen-head.S:
+
+   #define FEATURES_PVH "|writable_descriptor_tables" \
+                        "|auto_translated_physmap"    \
+                        "|supervisor_mode_kernel"     \
+                        "|hvm_callback_vector"
+
+In a nutshell, the guest uses auto translate, ie, p2m is managed by xen,
+it uses event callback and not vlapic emulation, the page tables are
+native, so mmu_update hcall is N/A for PVH guest. Moreover IDT is native, so
+set_trap_table hcall is also N/A for a PVH guest. For a full list of hcalls
+supported for PVH, see pvh_hypercall64_table in arch/x86/hvm/hvm.c in xen.
+From the ABI prespective, it's mostly a PV guest with auto translate, altho
+it does use hvm_op for setting callback vector.
+
+The initial phase targets the booting of a 64bit UP/SMP linux guest in PVH
+mode. This is done by adding: pvh=1 in the config file. xl, and not xm, is
+supported. Phase I patches are broken into three parts:
+   - xen changes for booting of 64bit PVH guest
+   - tools changes for creating a PVH guest
+   - boot of 64bit dom0 in PVH mode.
+
+Following fixme's exist in the code:
+  - Add support for more memory types in arch/x86/hvm/mtrr.c.
+  - arch/x86/time.c: support more tsc modes.
+  - check_guest_io_breakpoint(): check/add support for IO breakpoint.
+  - implement arch_get_info_guest() for pvh.
+  - vmxit_msr_read(): during AMD port go thru hvm_msr_read_intercept() again.
+  - verify bp matching on emulated instructions will work same as HVM for
+    PVH guest. see instruction_done() and check_guest_io_breakpoint().
+
+Following remain to be done for PVH:
+   - Virtual Machine introspection support: check_wakeup_from_wait() is being
+     skipped for PVH because hvm_do_resume is not called in vmx_do_resume.
+     Investigate what else needs to be done for VMI support.
+   - AMD port.
+   - 32bit PVH guest support in both linux and xen. Xen changes are tagged
+     "32bitfixme".
+   - Add support for monitoring guest behavior. See hvm_memory_event* functions
+     in hvm.c
+   - vcpu hotplug support
+   - Live migration of PVH guests.
+   - Avail PVH dom0 of posted interrupts. (This will be a big win).
+
+
+Note, any emails to me must be cc'd to xen devel mailing list. OTOH, please
+cc me on PVH emails to the xen devel mailing list.
+
+Mukesh Rathor
+mukesh.rathor [at] oracle [dot] com
-- 
1.7.2.3


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